Group Tours & Talks

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House offers private and bespoke group tours on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays – this must be booked in advance. 

£14 per person (£11.66 +VAT) which includes a guided tour, a hot drink and slice of cake in the tearoom

Group visits last approx. 2 hours with refreshments

Groups of between 10 and 50 people can be accommodated in the house and garden at once (minimum of 10 people in a group)

Coaches can drop off directly outside the house

Disabled parking available on site

Fully accessible with lifts to all floors

“We were very impressed with the guides’ knowledge of Elizabeth and her family, which brought the house to life. The refreshments were delicious and plentiful and the volunteers worked very hard to ensure that our plates and cups were kept full.” 
North Staffs National Trust members Group

Other nearby attractions include The Whitworth Art Gallery, Victoria Baths , The Pankhurst Centre and Oxford Road

Coach parking

The House is on the corner of Swinton Grove and Plymouth Grove. Coaches can safely drop off on Swinton Grove so coach visitors do not need to cross a road. The house has 3 gates; 1 at the rear of the house and 2 at the front. Coaches should be able to find parking for up to 3 hours locally.

Group Visits on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays

We are open to the public on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. 11am-4.30pm (last entry 3pm). Smaller groups of 10 people or less are welcome on these days but you are asked to pre-book via the online ticket system.

Please fill out the form below to check availability and to book.

Please note for all groups we ask for a 50% deposit one month in advance of your visit. Please see our Terms and Conditions for Group Bookings before booking.

Evening Tours and Book Group meeting welcome

If your group or book club is looking for something a bit different we can also offer evening tours with a glass of wine or Prosecco for 15 people or fewer. Complete the enquiry form above.

Online Zoom Tours for Groups

We are able to offer online tours for the House for groups via Zoom.
Using 360-degree photography our guides will take your group through the House, room by room with the chance to ask questions throughout. This tour will last approx. 1.5 hours depending on group size and the number of questions asked. Available at any time – subject to the availability of guides.

Please email sally@elizabethgaskellhouse.co.uk if you would like more information

External Talks and Lectures

Our expert and knowledgeable volunteers are available to give a variety of external talks about the house and other related areas of interest. These can be delivered via Zoom or in-person.

We request a donation of £65 per talk and travel expenses if doing the talk in-person.

Our speakers can combine their talks with a PowerPoint presentation or just talk. We can bring a projector and laptop, but will require a screen.

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House can provide speakers on the following subjects which last between 45 mins to an hour.

_ Introduction to Elizabeth Gaskell: writer and woman
– 84 Plymouth Grove and its restoration
– The Gaskell Family and Home Life
– Elizabeth and Travel
– The Servants at 84 Plymouth Grove
– The Gaskells and the cultural life of Victorian Manchester
– Mary Barton and Manchester
– Elizabeth Gaskell and her Cheshire connections
– The Restoration of the Garden at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House
– How did their Garden grow?  The Gaskells’ Garden at Plymouth Grove 

Please email enquiries@elizabethgaskellhouse.co.uk indicating the date you would like a speaker, the subject matter and the location of your event.

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House is run by Manchester Historic Buildings Trust (charity no. 1080606) and all money gained through private tours, talks, room hire and ticket sales goes towards the ongoing maintenance and running costs of the House and garden. If you would like to support the house with an additional donation you can do so via this link.

And we've got a house. Yes! we really have

Elizabeth Gaskell, 1850